An anguished Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Monday night consoled the family members of the 21 women killed in a stampede in his Lok Sabha constituency during a function organised to mark the birthday of senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon.

"We are drowned in grief," said Vajpayee who flew to Lucknow cutting short his electioneering in Jharkhand on hearing about the tragedy and went straight from the airport to King George's Medical University campus to meet the family members of the deceased.

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He told them that the investigation into the stampede, which left 21 people dead, would take time and appealed for patience. He has sanctioned Rs 100,000 from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the next of kin of the deceased.

The BJP, he said, too has announced Rs 100,000 for the next of kin of the dead, Rs 50,000 for those seriously wounded and RS 25,000 for those who suffered minor injuries.

The Prime Minister was briefed about the stampede by the district magistrate and senior superintendent of police.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav also met the kin of the victims and suspended Inspector R N Singh in connection with the incident.